Starting at a young age now, children are learning how to use a computer for fun and for learning. One advantage is that it takes an increased manual dexterity to operate a computer mouse and keyboard, but at the same time, children are losing out on the increased fine motor skills that come with writing their name and assignments out in long hand. Handwriting is a necessary skill that is not likely to find a replacement in the world of technology.
Computers can also lead to an educational environment where spelling skills are lost. This is even true for adults who consider themselves good spellers. Many word processing programs auto correct misspelled words and the writer never even knows that they have made a mistake. Everyone loves efficiency and while it certainly speeds up the writing process, it leads to the enforcement of common misspellings.
Some people do become obsessed with computers. For example, a couple in South Korea was recently charged with murder after they neglected their newborn baby to spend up to 12 hours a day in an internet café caring for a virtual baby. This type of obsession certainly can make the case that people are becoming too dependant on computers. But it is the exception to the rule, not the norm.
The most important issue in the debate on whether or not people are becoming too dependant on computers is one of safety. Many people share intimate details with others online, leaving them vulnerable to